Business Resources

When a bank can’t help with dreams of homeownership or growing a business, the Center for Rural Affairs can. We offer coaching and financing to help people become homeowners and to start or grow sustainable businesses. You can find your nearest loan specialist here.

Call on the Center when you are thinking of starting a small business or if you already operate a small business in Nebraska. We offer four essential services: financing (microloans), business training, one-on-one business counseling, and networking.

With the assistance of our staff, you can create a business plan, research potential markets and marketing ideas, discuss management issues with experienced business specialists, and apply for a small business loan.

Started in 1990, our lending program has provided services to numerous micro/small businesses throughout Nebraska. (A microbusiness is defined as one with 10 or fewer employees.) We’ve placed more than $23 million in loans to strengthen rural communities and are committed to continue this work.

In 2021, the Center started offering home ownership loans for the purchase of home, owner occupied rehabilitation or renovation, or emergency repair to a property. We believe in building sustainable communities and that everyone living in rural America should have the opportunity to live a happy and fulfilling life. We help Nebraskans own stable, safe, and quality housing.

Learn more at http://www.cfra.org/lending

Twin Cities Development Association, Inc. (TCD) is the economic development organization for the Scottsbluff/Gering area.  This nonprofit organization was formed in 1985 to work with prospective and existing industries to stimulate new investments and create new payrolls in the community.
 
The Scottsbluff/Gering Chamber is a voluntary partnership of businesses and professionals working together to build a healthy economy. We are truly the front door to our community and a voice for business, represented by nearly 500 businesses.

The City of Scottsbluff Economic Development Department is committed to helping existing businesses expand and assisting new businesses and entrepreneurs grow and thrive. Along with our valued partners, our office can support you with:

• Financial Assistance
• Redevelopment Assistance
• Business Plan Development
• Site Selection
• Social Media Marketing
• Workforce Development 

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is dedicated to serving our community, including those businesses contracting with state agencies and recipients of DOT funds.  The Department's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program is designed to remedy ongoing discrimination and the continuing effects of past discrimination in federally-assisted highway, transit, airport, and highway safety financial assistance transportation contracting markets nationwide. The primary remedial goal and objective of the DBE program is to level the playing field by providing small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation contracts.

Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes, the Nebraska Department of Transportation ensures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, or income be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits or services of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination in all programs, services or activities administered by the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

From commercial and small business loans to agricultural loans, we are ready to work with—and for—you. So when you’re ready to expand, relocate, or launch the business venture you’ve always dreamed of, call us. 

The Nebraska Advantage Microenterprise Tax Credit Act (Act) provides a refundable individual income tax credit to individual applicants who are actively involved in operating a microbusiness based on demonstrated growth of the business over two years. An individual must submit a Nebraska Advantage Microenterprise Tax Credit Application (application) to reserve credits. The Act allows the Nebraska Department of Revenue (DOR) to authorize tax credits in the amount of $2 million each calendar year, plus any unclaimed credits carried forward from the prior year. The applicant may earn a credit equal to 20% of the increase in new investment or new employment at the microbusiness in the year of application and the year after application. The total lifetime tax credits claimed by any single applicant and any related persons are limited to $20,000. The $20,000 lifetime limit applies to both the individual and the microbusiness.

Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) helps strengthen Nebraska businesses for a healthy economy and prosperous communities. Certified consultants provide confidential, impartial services and educational opportunities for established and start-up businesses, researchers, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Services include assistance with sales, financing, planning, transition, training, and progress.

The Nebraska Department of Labor administers several programs to diversify and upskill an employer's workforce.  Individuals can explore opportunities to increase skillsets and enhance professional development and career growth.

We Are Nebraska Enterprise Fund. | A statewide microenterprise intermediary and Certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing business development services and financing to micro and small businesses across Nebraska.

The One-Stop Registration Information System has been established to help in navigating the process of setting up a new business.

This system is designed to help create your business entity by:

Asking you pertinent questions about your business
Identifying necessary forms to be filed with appropriate State agencies
Providing you with help links and contacts throughout the process

The Panhandle Area Development District (PADD) works closely with business assistance and economic development professionals in the Panhandle to connect businesses to the resources they need. PADD works specifically to provide an Economic Development Loan Fund and to manage regional resources for Social Enterprise — businesses whose primary purpose is the common good, addressing social, environmental, and human justice needs.

Platte Valley Bank offers a broad range of financing tools for your business. Term loans, real estate loans, construction loans, lines of credit and letters of credit will be structured to meet your credit requirements for working capital financing, equipment loans, and real estate. Interest rates may be structured on either a floating or fixed basis, with terms designed to meet your business needs.

• Commercial Real Estate Loans
• Equipment Loans 
• Agriculture Loans
• Business Lines of Credit
• Business Term Loans

The SBA is there for you whether you want to plan your business, launch your business, manage your business, or grow your business. They offer assistance to businesses with free business counseling, SBA-guaranteed business loans, home and business disaster loans, and federal government contracting. 

SourceLink Nebraska connects business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to resources for starting, scaling, or accelerating their businesses in Nebraska. SourceLink Nebraska offers a one-stop shop to help entrepreneurs and business owners grow and prosper.

The State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) helps to increase the number of Nebraska small businesses that export, and increases export value for those already doing so. The program is made possible by funding to the State of Nebraska from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

USDA Rural Development supports rural prosperity in Nebraska by investing in modern infrastructure such as high-speed internet and water and waste treatment systems. They help eligible rural Nebraskans buy or rent affordable housing and can partner with you to build or improve essential community facilities such as hospitals, libraries, and schools. They boost rural economic development by funding technical assistance for small business owners and entrepreneurs, helping them design robust business plans, find new markets, and promote their goods and services. They also help eligible businesses and manufacturers expand or improve, and support energy programs that finance renewable systems for agriculture and industry.

Veteran Entrepreneur Portal (VEP) makes it easier for small businesses to access federal services, regardless of its source—and quickly connects Veteran entrepreneurs to relevant ‘best-practices’ and information.

Training, updating, and retraining employees is an ongoing challenge for any business. Our Workforce Training department can help you train and maintain a workforce that is up-to-date on today’s technologies and licenses -- all at an affordable cost.

Our trainings are conducted by experts who have the knowledge and expertise to serve your employees and business. In some instances trainers are full-time or adjunct instructors at WNCC, though industry specialists are also commonly brought in to instruct. Most training options are focused in manufacturing, business technologies, leadership, computer skills, and regulatory compliance, though we also make every effort to provide customized workplace training to suit your specific needs.